Compare Prices on Norwegian Gem Canada & New England Cruises

Probably won't cruise with Norwegian again.

Sail Date:
September 2013

Destination:
Canada & New England

Embarkation:
New York (Manhattan)

First the good news. The ship was clean to the point of paranoia. Every time you ate there was someone there to spritz you with disinfectant. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Our cabin was across the hall from the crew's main door for mid-ship. It slammed all night long on our first night. We complained and they had it fixed to close more softly. We ate in the "Benny Hana style" restaurant and it was excellent. The bed was the most comfortable we've had on any cruise. The entertainment was good. Jeff Harms was the comedian and we appreciated that his humor was clean and appropriate for all ages.

The not-so-good report: There was only one nice area to eat that didn't charge extra. With the exception of the surf and turf, the food was mediocre at best. I sent 2 entrees back as inedible (specifically, the lamb special and the gnocchi). It felt like they wanted to steer you to one of the extra charge restaurants, of which there were five. Even the deserts weren't worth More
the calories and I've been known to have multiple deserts on Princess cruises. Portions were quite small, which wasn't such a bad idea, but you need to order 2 salads if you're expecting something substantial. Their wines were overpriced. You could bring your own for a $15 corkage fee. They did not appear to enforce any dress code in the main dining room. Men were wearing ball caps, etc. People dressed so casually that I never wore the simple dress I took. I would have felt uncomfortably out of place. Little extras were missing, such as hand/body lotion and hair conditioner in the cabins. They charged over $5/bottle for water. Really? Water? Our friends ordered pizza from room service (for an extra charge) and said it was terrible.

Bottom line: We were dissapointed with the food and felt "nickled and dimed" on amenities. Less